Rainbow Fading
by 20FacesChizu
Summary: Kai and Max had the least of connections in their little group, but unforseen circumstances take their future out of their hands... and leave them with a girl they both have to call 'sister.' An old plot is finally coming to fruition, and the beast might very well be in their midst...
1. Rainy Day

_**Disclaimer: **Iya-chan does not own Beyblade._

_**Note:** This work was finished… probably a little over a year ago. If you wish to be critical over my writings, you are welcome to it, but it still stands that my writing has more than significantly improved since the completion of this tale. I hope that you will read my other works, as well! (I write mostly Naruto, but some IY+Anima, and many others. Enjoy!)_

**_Rainbow Fading_**

_Kyuubi Tenshi_

**Chapter1- Rainy Day**

"Hey Mom, I'm here!" yelled Max, the lush carpeting in the room softening his voice. Walking over to the curtains and drawing them aside, he gazed out at the sun filtering through the clouds above his new home in the U.S. New York City, New York. It was much larger than the town he had lived in back in Japan for the last three years.

After the World Championships, he had decided to move to New York with his mom and stay there until he finished High School, and then he would go to college in Japan with Tyson, Kenny and Hilary. Last he'd heard Rei was planning on doing the same. Kai hadn't said, but he was a year older than everyone else in the group and was much more removed from them to top it off. Max didn't really expect to see him there, but there was always hope. Daichi'd basically been adopted into the Kinomiya family, and was staying at Tyson's until further notice, but he was two years younger than Kenny, which makes him three years younger than everybody else, so they didn't know if he was going to college at all.

_Everyone's a whole year older now. Kai is 18. Tyson, Rei, Hilary and I are all 17. The Chief is 16, and Daichi's 14. I'm probably not going to see the others for another six months. I'm sure glad the Bladebreakers patched everything up after the Championships. Even Kai told us why he left._

_Each of us wanted to see if we could make it on our own. If we had remembered what the Saint Shields had taught us about our bitbeasts we wouldn't have broken up to begin with. They are the sacred four: the Blue Dragon of Wood, the Red Pheonix of Fire, the White Tiger of Gold, and the Black Turtle of Water. We should have remembered! But, then again, this probably would have happened sooner or later._

_In the Finals that first year, Rei and Tyson tied and Rei threw in the towel just 'cause Tyson beat him and he didn't think anybody could. Kai wanted a rematch because it was practically pure luck that gave Tyson the win. I had promised to meet Ty in the finals, but I broke the promise because Kai beat me and moved on instead. Yeah, I guess it was just bound to happen._

A noise in the background jolted him out of his thoughts. That, and a smell that was so wonderful it could have only been food. The noise had been the closing of the oven door.

Max ran to the kitchen to investigate. There at the counter, a teen about his age was putting freshly baked, gooey chocolate chip cookies onto a platter. She had long brown hair and fair skin, and was wearing some of the brightest clothes he had ever seen! She wore her hair in ponytail like Mariah's, only the ribbon was brightly tie-dyed and the ends were super long, halfway down her calves and her hair at her thighs! Her shirt was a half-sleeve tank top with the same dye job; her pants were white cargos, with the same tie-dye look on all the pockets. Even her SHOES were tie-dyed (A/N: tie-dyed combat boots. MAN I HAVE A TWISTED MIND!)!

She was singing a quiet and deathly-sounding harmony under her breath, and when he caught the words, it was something like this:

_Your eyes are the stuff of Nightmare horses,_

_Of indigo hues of death._

_You're all-consuming passion-fire_

_Burning in my depths._

_Indigo flame, amethyst silk, all this and_

_Violet Satin._

The girl seemed to be unaware of him. She kept on singing the song as though no one was around. Then she turned and saw him standing behind her. Her face was covered with shock! She nearly dropped the platter of cookies in surprise. Max's shock was just as great. She had markings on her face just like Kai's, only they were rainbow! Her eyes were also deep shades of wolf gray and amethyst mixed together. _Man, this girl must be obsessed with color!_ thought Max, his eyes searching hers.

She didn't even think to speak to him; she just bowed courteously and put the cookies on the counter before turning to go into the living room. The silence was complete as he followed her back into the den. Silently she curled up on the window seat, her head resting on her knees and arms hanging loosely around her legs.

The door opened and a voice was heard. It was Max's mom, Ms. Judy Mizuhara. She was calling out in a language that Max couldn't understand.

"Hey Mom! We're in here!"

"Welcome home Maxie! Emily's with me if you want to go talk to her." At this point, she turned to the strange teenager behind him and began speaking in that odd language again.

Walking into the living room, he greeted Emily with his typical "Hey! How ya' doin'?" before bombarding her with questions relating to the brightly colored teen.

"Who was that girl that I saw? Do you know? What language is my mom speaking? How did that girl get here? Why is she here in the first place? And why does she wear markings on her face just like Kai's?" he asked in one breath, before Emily cut him off.

"Slow down, for heaven sakes! I can't answer all your questions at once! All right. The girl's name is Rainbeaux Jewel, Rainy for short. Your mom is speaking Russian. Ms. Judy adopted Rainy from an orphanage in Russia. And lastly, we were hoping Kai could tell us why himself. He should be here in about an hour," she finished, ticking the list off on her fingers.

"Kai's coming HERE?! Are you kidding?! We didn't know where Kai had gone and we're his own teammates! How'd you find him?!"

Max was hysterical, to put it lightly. His mom had adopted him a sister and hadn't told him. This sister didn't even speak the same language as him. This sister had a connection with his lone wolf of a former team captain. She was unusual to the tenth power squared. Max could think of at least a dozen more reasons not to like her, and that was just off the top of his head. _Wait, only speak Russian? But…_

Walking in on their fast-paced Russian conversation he said, "Mom, I think she understands English."

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**AN: Besides "The Siren," this is one of my earliest fics. The first two fics I ever started writing (called "Sheba Nights" and "Karui to Yami") were never completed, nor posted. Then after those, I began "The Siren," and about two months later, this story. And don't worry; the writing style gradually improves. (_smiles nervously_) I'm just reposting it for folks' reading pleasure.**

**REVIEW, ONEGAI!**


	2. She's your WHAT!

_**Disclaimer:** I OWN VIOLET SATIN AND MORE THAN ME. This disclaimer is really a 'claimer', isn't it?_

**Chapter 2- She's Your WHAT?**

"Maxie, how would you come to a conclusion like that?" Ms. Judy asked him. He looked into the eyes of the girl and saw nothing but horror as he answered slowly.

"I walked into the kitchen as she was taking the cookies out of the oven. I heard her singing a song. It was one that I heard in Las Vegas in a small café. It was called 'Violet Satin', and it was the album's title track. The artists were known as 'More Than Me'. I remember the radio announcer saying so while we were waiting on our ice cream. I loved that song, so I bought the album. I'm sure I would know." He said every word of this like he knew something bad was going to happen to her when he got finished.

Emily hadn't know the seriousness of the conversation, so when she walked in, there was a very uncomfortable dead silence. Turning to Max, she asked if he'd accompany her to the airport.

"Kai's plane got in early. I think he was in his private jet or something. Anyway, I don't feel comfortable alone with him, so come with me PLEASE?" she said. And she must've really wanted him to come, too. All pride flew out the window and she made the cutest puppy look on the face of the earth. Despite what had occurred moments ago, Max burst out laughing and agreed. Emily pitched him the keys and they were off.

On the way to the airport, Max popped in a CD and told the stereo to play track number four. The music that poured forth, at first, was echoing and hollow, but suddenly went into a slightly desperate and driving rock song.

_I see violet satin in your eyes._

_They shine with their own luminescence._

_Violet fire can't compare_

_To the pyre you've held within._

Max was humming the tune forebodingly under his breath, but stopped the moment the chorus started. He wanted to be sure he had remembered the words correctly. That girl was hiding from something, and changing the language she spoke was supposed to protect her somehow. He could feel it, just as though it were coming through the speakers with the song, a tangible wave of secrecy.

_Your eyes are the stuff of Nightmare horses,_

_Of indigo hues of death._

_You're all-consuming passion-fire_

_Burning in my depths._

_Indigo flame, amethyst silk, all this and_

_Violet Satin._

There! That was it! He wasn't dreaming, she had sung the chorus to this very song! Max let out a triumphant cry, startling Emily in the process. She looked at like he was from another planet, but Max couldn't have cared less. He was right!

The song played itself out and into the next track. Emily was still looking at him as though he had turned into some sort of weird creature. Max didn't give a flip what was going on in her head about the joyful whoop he had given. He was going to _prove_ that Rainy could speak English now!

**/Airport- Kai's P.O.V./**

The airport was pretty crowded. Emily seemed to be taking her own sweet time to get there, and that wasn't good. Something was bound to happen.

_"HEY LOOK! IT'S KAI!" _

_Uh oh, time to split!_ I thought. "I call dibs on his scarf!" _Oh great, and they're RABID ones, too! Ok, where's the exit when you need it…?_

"Ahhh!" I screamed, just before a hand clamped over my mouth, and I was drawn into the shadows.

**/Normal P.O.V./**

"Kai! Chill dude, ok? It's just me!" Max whispered to him. Kai turned and looked at him with a stunned expression before noticing that the fangirls had caught on to their trick.

"Less talking, more running!" Kai yelled before grabbing a handful of Max's t-shirt in one hand and Emily's wrist in the other.

**/Ms. Mizuhara's Apartment- 15 minutes later/**

The minute Kai walked in the door, Rainy ran up and hugged his neck like there was no tomorrow. That, and she was crying her eyes out while talking excitedly in Russian. Kai pulled her close and whispered comfortingly in her ear. It was that way for about 20 minutes before she finally calmed down. Sitting around the coffee table in the den, Max finally burst out with the questions he'd wanted to ask Kai from the start.

"How the heck do you two know each other?! She wears markings almost identical to yours, you both speak fluent Russian, she cried in your arms for nearly half an hour and you actually COMFORTED HER, which is totally un-you, and now she's curled up with her head on your shoulder! WHAT IS GOING ON?!?!" he screamed, again he was nearing hysteria.

Quietly, Kai spoke to the girl in their native tongue. When she replied, a small tear slipped from the corner of her eye, and Kai's own eyes grew wide. He turned to Max and spoke.

"She tells me that she said her name was Rainbeaux Jewel Sakuryu. It's really not. Her real name is Koriya Rayne Hiwatari. I know, because she is my baby sister.

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**AN: Tada. DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW.**


	3. Family Reunions and Explanations

**Chapter 3- Family Reunions and Explanations **

"Our mother died in childbirth with her, and my father kept her away from Voltaire. I knew about her, though, and we were very close. Of course I was only two when she was born, but I managed to sneak away to the spot where she was hidden on occasion. But Voltaire found out. He hired someone to kill my father, and then kill himself so that he would never be found out. I was seven and she was five at that point. The next night I snuck out of the Abby with her. I took her to the park and told her what to do."

_/Flashback/_

"Now listen carefully to me, ok? I'm going to take you someplace where you'll be safe and Grandfather will never find you. But remember to never speak in any other language than our native one, never tell anyone your real name, and never tell anyone of your past, ok?" Chibi Kai comforted his crying little sister. She looked up at him, her eyes now appearing to be silver and wolf gray in the moonlight, and dried one of her tears.

"You'll come back for me when it's safe, won't you?" she asked. Her eyes were full of pleading and sadness, an expression that was only fitting for someone many times her age. Anger rose within him as he thought of the cause of it being there.

"When it is completely safe, I will find you, no matter what the cost. Just you remember that, okay? Just remember, Ria, I will _always _come back for you."

_/End Flashback/_

"A few months later the occurrence with Black Dranzer destroyed my memory. I had forgotten my promise. Just after we battled Zeo for the World Title again, I was rummaging through some old papers in my father's desk and found a picture of her from just before our father was killed, rainbow markings and all.

"I then remembered my promise and started to renew my search. But the next day we found out about the new rule for the Championships, and the promise was momentarily forgotten due to the inner turmoil over my loyalties. After the Championships, I immediately went into full search. The trail was extremely hard to follow. She hopped around from one home to another more often than I could count. My search was a dead end when apparently her latest home, a fairly rich elderly man and woman, were killed in a car accident.

"I ended up hacking into the main database where the names of all the children are stored. Only entering general information, I came up with about 5,000 possibilities, but half of these were quickly discarded. My trail in turn led me to the place where I had first left her. It was there I discovered she had been adopted soon after I got my information. Made the phone call, came here. End story," he finished, looking down at his sister. Surprising them all, she spoke.

"It had been so long. I had almost given up hope. But then Ms. Mizuhara came and offered to bring me to America. The prospect was bright, so I accepted. She adopted me and brought me here. Though you don't know it, I beyblade, as well if not better than my brother. But only by moonlight in secluded places. It was from my past, and I was afraid that if anyone saw me, something might happen that would help Grandfather get onto my trail. And so my talent remained hidden. But now the coast is clear, and I can once again beyblade with others and have a free mind," she finished, giving her brother a smile.

"I have a question," Emily started, rather hesitantly. "She's Kai's birth sister, and Max's adoptive sister, so with whom is she supposed to live?"

The whole room was silent. That was a very interesting question. Max and Kai now had a link between them, and, whether they wanted it or not, to the both of them she was now sister. Max sighed and stood up.

"Well, if there's no specific place you need to be any time soon, you're welcome to stay here with us. And if there is, maybe your sis has some ideas on what we can do about this situation. After all, when it comes down to it this whole thing is about her, and she should get a say, right?" he asked, holding out his hand.

Looking from his newly found sister to his former teammate, Kai took Max's hand. Looking him directly in the eye, he asked something so unexpected that everyone in the room was wondering if he or she heard right. That question was, "Shall I call you Brother?"

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**AN: Very short chapter, I know. But please REVIEW anyway.**


	4. A New Family for Kai

**Chapter 4- A New Family for Kai **

(_Kai's P.O.V._)

Dead silence, dropped jaws. Totally not the reaction I had hoped for. But the moment they recovered everything went haywire.

"If that's how you feel, then WELCOME TO THE FAMILY!" Max yelled, apparently ecstatic. He seemed to love the idea of us being family, even though it was a shocker that I was the one to suggest it. My sister was hugging the stuffing out of me two seconds later, and exclaiming about how wonderful it would be in Russian.

But my expression had evidently remained solemn. For when Ria looked up into my face, a confused look covered her own countenance, and she quieted, as did Max. I lifted my head and looked into the eyes of Max's mother searching, waiting, hoping for approval and acceptance.

A small smile lighted her features. That smile soon became a sly one, though, and she stepped towards me. My sister backed off, as did Max when she said, "So you want to be apart of our family, huh? Well, there's just one little thing I need to know first, since from now on your going to consider Max your brother."

That little pause was enough to send shivers down my spine. I was sure I was going to be rejected. But then I was thrown slightly off guard when she asked…

(_Normal P.O.V_.)

"Do I get a new title too?"

Those simple words turned the whipped puppy look on Kai's face into one of surprise, and then into one of absolute joy, a look never before seen on the anti-social captain's face. Ms. Mizuhara opened her arms, offering a hug, and to her utmost surprise Kai ran to her as though coming home for the very first time. Looking up at her with tearful eyes, he replied, "How does 'Mom' sound?"

A smile spread across every face in the room at hearing these words. Ms. Judy was slightly surprised at the suggested title, but she felt that she couldn't have hoped for a better one. Pulling away enough to look at him face to face, she gave him a questioning gaze. Understanding that she was slightly curious as to why he would give her such an important title, he sat down next to her on the sofa and began to explain.

"My biological mother had always wanted a girl. When she got me instead she was upset, and in the end she rejected me and gave me to Voltaire to raise. My mother rejected me, so I never received her love, and she died in childbirth with Ria so neither of us has ever had a Mother. I feel that you would fill that need in our lives, and thus I give you the title. That's ok… isn't it?" he asked her, sincerity ringing clear in his voice. Ms. Judy smiled once again and nodded her approval.

"I love it, Kai. I'm thrilled that you want to be so much apart of our family," she said, giving him a light smile as Ria slipped up next to him.

"I've always wanted a real family, with all of us together, never to be parted. And now I have it. Two brothers and my mother," she said, her smile small and a little sad. Kai understood; she was thinking about their dad. She'd known him better than Kai, and thus missed him more, but she'd never known what it was like to have a mother, nor had he, and now they would both find out.

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**AN: There. YAY! Moving on. Too many stories, not enough time. REVIEW!**


	5. A Call for Help

**Chapter 5- A Cry for Help**

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

Max raced into the living room and grabbed the phone. Picking up, he said: "Mizuhara residence, this is Max!"

"Maxie! Hey bud, did I get you at a good time?" he heard Tyson's voice ask from the other end of the line. He smiled; it was good to hear his old Bladebreaker buddy's voice again.

"Yeah, it's ok. My alarm wouldn't have gone off for another 15 minutes, but I needed to get up earlier anyway," he said jokingly.

"Oh, sorry. Anyway, how's the Big Apple?"

"Tiring, shocking, and… did I ment-(_yawn_)-ion tiring?" he asked, trying to talk through a yawn.

"Yup. Hey, I was wondering… well there's a tournament coming up, nothing big, but we've been invited. I was wondering if you could help us find Kai and then us go together as the Bladebreakers, you know, leaving Daichi? The only thing new is that we have to have a girl, and Rei thought about bringing Mariah, but the White Tigers were invited too so he can't. Did the PPB get an invitation to the Olympia Stadium?" he asked.

"Yeah, but I love the idea of going to a tournament as the Bladebreakers again! Olympia Stadium was Robert's stadium, and it would be awesome to battle them as our old team! Two more things on that note: one, you don't have to worry over the girl thing, because I have one in mind. And, two, you don't have to look for Kai; he's here at my place. No biggie, ok?" he asked, thinking about how he wished he was on the other end of the line so that he could see Tyson's face at the revelation of Kai actually staying at a former teammate's place when they all knew he had money to burn.

"Ok, man. Hey, I gotta go, it's bedtime and Grandpa'll lecture me in the morning if I don't go to bed on time," he said. Max mentally agreed; Mr. Kinomiya did lecture him an awful lot, and that was one of those things. Saying good-bye and hanging up, the blonde American yawned as he walked back towards his room and grabbed a pair of blue-jeans and a green sleeveless t-shirt and put them on before gravitating towards the kitchen. _Hmmm, maybe I can snag one of Ria's cookies…_

He wasn't so lucky. When he got to the kitchen, Kai and his sister were already drinking coffee in a companionable silence. She glanced up as he walked through the doorway and greeted him.

"Morning, Maxie. Want some breakfast?"

"Sure. What do we have?" he asked, taking a seat next to Kai as the teen, clad in pink-and green pajamas, went over to the fridge.

"If I fix breakfast, Max, I fix a meal. How do scrambled eggs, biscuits, jam, bacon, sausage and sautéed mushrooms sound?" she asked, and when she received no reply she turned around to see if he was still there. What met her eyes were two sets of dropped and drooling jaws. "I guess I'll take that as a 'yeah'."

To put it in simplistic terms, she was an accomplished multi-tasker. She had three things going at once, and she still had the presence of mind to keep up a conversation with the boys while they weren't wowed at her skills, and when they were, she sang. A nice, low, alto voice; not at all high or shrill. The sounds were beautiful and deep, extremely soothing, almost putting them back to sleep. By the time it was all on the table, Ms. Judy had joined them. Typically, Kai didn't eat breakfast with the team, and Max could see it was _probably_ due to his eating **habits**.

"Pancake syrup on sausage, maybe; but on _scrambled eggs and sautéed mushrooms?!_" he asked, a little grossed out. Kai gave him a fox's smile.

"I could talk the same way about your putting _mustard_ on _everything_," he said jokingly, and Max shrugged carelessly, throwing out an 'oh well' as he put some mustard on his plate and dipped a piece of sausage into it. Koriya gave a light giggle as she followed her eldest brother's example, thoroughly dousing everything on her plate in the sticky brown liquid. Ms. Judy followed the example of her youngest son, pouring a little bit of the yellow substance onto her plate and taking a bite out of one of the sausages. Complements on her cooking were volleyed at her several times during the meal, and she told them that she thought it was home #23 that had her as adoptive daughter to the owner of a restaurant specializing in Chinese cuisine.

"How many homes did you have total?" Max asked her after hearing the number 23. She thought about it for a few minutes.

"In eleven years, I have been a foster child four times and been adopted 47 times. They keep saying I'm a bad-luck child because the people who adopt me frequently die, or desert me, or hate me so much that they cancel the adoption. I'm kind of used to it."

Her answer had been nonchalant, but everyone could see that her birth-brother was boiling beneath the surface after hearing that his sister had been called such a thing and treated in such a manner. An average of approximately five homes per year sounded disheartening in itself; living it must've been a hundred times worse. She glanced at her wolfish brother, letting a saddened smile slip into place. She knew that he had sent her away from the Abbey because he didn't want her to lead a lonely, sad, hurt life like he was, but she had ended up living it anyway despite his efforts.

"One more thing…" Max started, hoping to draw the subject away from her hurtful life, "what would you say to competing in a invite-only tournament with the Bladebreakers?" Kai gave him a shocked look, and Ria's face lit up like a candle.

"Really?! With _the_ Bladebreakers?! I'd love to!" she shouted excitedly.

"As the Bladebreakers? Max, what are you talking about?" Kai queried of the blonde. He looked sheepish.

"When the phone rang a while ago, it was Tyson. He wanted us to ditch Daichi and go to this tournament at Robert's Olympia Stadium. The rules require that there be at least one girl on the team, though, and I thought Ria could play as one of us since she said she bladed and both the PPB _and_ the White Tigers have received an invite. He wanted it to be just like old times, when it was him, Rei, Kenny, Hilary, you and me. I thought since it wasn't the Championships, you wouldn't mind…" he trailed off, his intentions completely obvious. Kai gave him a skeptical look, but yielded with a 'whatever', his classic response that basically, in Kai language, meant yes.

"ALL RIGHT!"

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**AN: Yay! The next chappie! Okay, seriously people, reviews would be nice. I know that Beyblade has already finished, but seriously, can't you show a little love for the story? (_cries_) I worked SOOO HARD, TOO! (_sniffle_) Either way, enjoY!**


	6. Walking 'Home'

**Chapter 6- Walking 'Home' **

_/Three Days Later/_

Kai, Max and Koriya walked out of the airport and onto the busy streets of Tokyo. They had, thankfully, packed light. Even Ria.

"Same old place, huh Kai?" Max commented, as they glanced around themselves. The wolf-boy nodded his head. Ria glanced around as they walked down the sidewalks. A wonderful scent caught her nose, and she immediately recognized it as cinnamon.

"Kai, something smells _super_ good!" she said, pointing in the direction from which the odor had wafted. The two boys immediately recognized the place. The blonde-haired Amerikajin laughed lightly.

"I could go for some breakfast, I guess. How 'bout you, Kai?" he asked, and received a nod. Ria squealed in delight and ran over to a bread and pastry shop across the street. The minute they walked through the door, a friendly greeting was given to them. The boys had been here several times for breakfast before.

"Good morning, boys!" greeted a plump, elderly woman. "What can I get you this morning? If you're looking for Kenny, he'll be down in a few minutes."

"Kenny?" the teenager questioned, tuning to look at her brothers for an explanation. Max laughed again, and Kai let a smile slide into place. "Why would he be here?"

"His parents own this shop, Ria. We used to came here for breakfast all the time," Kai answered her. She looked at him blankly for a moment and then shrugged, digging out her purse.

"I want an apple fritter, if you please. Kai? Max?"

"Two tiger-tails," her elder brother replied.

"Ditto on that one!" (A/N: By the way, if ya'll aren't familiar with tiger-tails, they're like two long donuts, one of chocolate and the other vanilla, wrapped together and glazed. I loved 'em as a kid!)

"Kai! Max! You're here!" she heard someone exclaim. She glanced up from her entertainment bag and into the countenance of a brown-haired boy of about sixteen or so. He was wearing a disheveled white dress-shirt and green tie, and a pair of blue jeans. The glasses perched on top of his head only made him look the more unkempt. His hair looked like he hadn't combed it that morning at all. "I'm surprised you came so quickly! And who's this?"

She stepped forward and stuck out her hand, smiling congenially.

"Ria's the name, and beyblade's my game! Glad to meet you!" she said, mentioning nothing of the fact that she was related, or half-related, to either of the boys behind her. She had a tacit agreement with the elder of the two to keep it as such. "And you're Kenny of the Bladebreakers, correct?"

"Yeah; I guess you're that girl that Max told Tyson about, aren't you?" he asked, and she responded with a nod. "So, how does he know you, anyway?"

"I'm a new project of his Mom's," she said vaguely. Max looked at her, surprised, but said nothing. Kai's surreptitious smirk escaped all perception. He had trained his sister well. The computer-prone teen shrugged as the girl turned and paid for their breakfast, pitching the bag into Max's arms after rooting her apple fritter from the bottom corner. The blonde laughed, amused with the action before snagging one of the tiger-tails and tossing it to Kai and so he could grab one for himself. They were just as sticky-sweet as he remembered them, too.

"Sooo… tell me, where're we heading?" she asked. She was beginning to act freakishly hyper and weird, for some reason. Kai laughed, much to the near-heart-attack-causing shock of Kenny.

"Sorry, I forgot to tell you she gets freaky when she's on a sugar-high. It'll wear off in about five minutes," he said as she stuffed down the rest of her breakfast and licked the glaze off of her fingers. She looked at him like an irritated child.

"I don't neither get weird!"

"Pardon her, she spent half her life in the south. What do you call that, anyway?"

"Southern English. It's southern English."

"Yeah, that freakish thing."

"It is not freakish!"

_/4 minutes and 55 seconds (and a few insults)_ _later/_

"Five… four… three…"

"Yo, what's with the countdown, huh?"

"It's because in about one second you're gonna forget we were arguing."

"Arguing? What're you talkin' about, Kai? We haven't argued in years!"

"My point exactly," he stated, an amused smirk plastered on his face. Blondie boy and goggle head watched with amusement from the sidelines as the colorful teen gave Kai the most sincere look of confusion that they had ever seen. She really had no idea what he was talking about! "Seriously, Ria, just forget it."

She shrugged, and continued walking, choosing to do as he had told her. Max let a small laugh escape as he watched her; she really had no idea that they'd been arguing, and it was kinda cute how Kai knew she would end up that way. It was only a few minutes later that they entered the gates of Tyson's dojo.

Ria let her gaze wander and take in her surroundings. The place was beautiful; she could understand perfectly well why the World Champion beyblader would want to live here. She found one of her brothers, she wasn't sure which since she didn't look, took her by the hand and led her around to the back of the complex. The garden and small pond were very inviting and serene in the early morning. She was hard pressed not to go swimming for a little fun!

"Yo Tyson! You up yet?" she vaguely heard her younger older brother call. The adjectives she had used to describe him to herself were an interesting choice, and she giggled at the complexity of their relationship. Her attention was fully captured, though, when a moment later, a boy slid open one of the dojo doors and closed it behind him quietly. He had a friendly smile on his face as he looked up at them.

"Don't wake him. Last night Grandpa brought home four baker's dozen of glazed donuts, all shapes and sizes, and we'll leave it at the explanation that Grandpa and I only had two apiece, and there are none left," the raven-haired youth stifled his laughter with a fist. She couldn't help but notice how cute he was in his sky-blue pajamas and loose, ruffled black hair. The tresses were long and looked exceptionally thick. It was interesting that he had only lightly pulled them back with a black ribbon at the moment. "He has a sugar-hangover, just like Max used to get!"

Kai cast a glance at his sister. She was staring at Rei, her head cocked to one side just slightly, observing him. He remembered that she used to do that when she thought something was interesting and she was focusing on it intensely. He decided to snap her back to reality.

"Ria, do I need to go to the hardware store for new hinges?" Her jaw immediately snapped shut from its slightly gaping position. She glared at him playfully, before shoving him onto the ground, surprising all but Max, and he laughed as the two began to tussle. It took only a moment for Koriya's ribbon to come out of her hair, and Kai's scarf came undone and was quickly tossed aside. She finally managed to pin her brother, and her finger ran lightly over the back of his arm. Raucous laughter followed soon after. "Ria! Stop! No- no fair!"

"All's fair in love and war!" she shouted back over his laughter as he desperately tried to get away from her. He was unsuccessful, however, and soon Tyson walked out onto the porch, rubbing his eyes groggily.

"Hey, what's all the commotion, huh?" he asked Rei, yawning. The nekojin was finally able to shake himself out of his stupor. He looked at the boy with a sly smile.

"Oh, nothing. Kai just got into a tickle-fight with our new **girl** team member and he's laughing his fool head off," he replied nonchalantly, secretly trying to withhold his laughter as Tyson's eyes shot open and were finally able to focus on the two before him. _Speechless, huh? Well, I guess there's a first time for everything._

"Uncle! Uncle already, UNCLE!" Kai shouted through his laughter, about ready to die of asphyxiation. It was so comical. The entire group let loose a round of laughter, but every time they thought of Kai's face they began all over again. Kai was too tired and breathless to say anything to them about it. So he settled for simple introductions to remedy any embarrassment. "Everyone, this is Koriya. Ria, meet the bane of my existence."

* * *

**AN: And from here, for a while, it'll be a humor story, and then angst. Enjoy. But not many ppl seem to be reading this, since there are so few reviews. REVIEW ALREADY!**


	7. Challenger

**Chapter 7- Challenger**

"So… _where do I go from here?_" she asked in a singsong voice. Kai rubbed his temples in an irritated fashion, accompanying the action with a sigh.

"You have watched 'Pocahontas II' one too many times," he said. She laughed and gave him a wink.

"Awww! C'mon now, no I haven't! I have been behaving myself perfectly well! Can't you see this little halo?" she asked playfully, putting on an innocent mask and drawing a circle above her head. He snorted.

"Sorry, but I think one of your horns tipped it."

They threw playful insults back and forth to one another as the group made its way towards the park. The only one not surprised was Max, but unlike the others, Rei wasn't afraid to speak his mind.

"Ok, how the heck do you two know each other, huh? And don't give me any of this junk about 'what do you mean, Rei?'. I want to know, so spill!" he burst, turning and giving the three of them a ticked look. Koriya grinned goofily.

"'Pends on which side a the story ya wanna hear!" she said, giggling. "Do ya wanna know Maxie's side or Kai's side?"

"Both."

"That'd take too long! Okie dokie, long story short, I'm their one and only link 'cause I'm their sister, and I mean both of 'em at the same time. Mama adopted me a couple weeks back and wanted to find out why I was so much like Kai, so she called him in and found out that I'm his younger sis by two years, so now she's gonna adopt Kai, too! Soap life, huh?" she asked giggling again as her brothers freaked out over her telling. Rei cocked his head in a curious manner. "What? What'd I fergit?"

"Mama?"

"OH! Ms. Judy Mizuhara!" (_entire group does anime fall_)

Her genki temperament was worse than Max's on a sugar high. She skipped off, beginning to sing something along the lines of _'Sugar, oh, honey honey! You are my candy girl and ya got me wantin' you…' _or something like that. Kai groaned as he ran after her, shouting something about her listening to too much 60's music. He tackled her and set them rolling into a crowd of kids.

"Hey hottie. You new in this neighborhood?"

Ria looked up into eyes of blending silvers and lavenders framed by dark lashes and evergreen bangs. They seemed to sparkle with joyous laughter as they looked at her in amusement.

Kai could see otherwise. The twinkle was not one of laughter or amusement; it was perverted in every sense of the term. He could easily tell this guy didn't have his sister's best interests in mind. But she seemed mesmerized by him for some reason; there was no familiar head-cocked interest here. Her beautiful gray and dark-violet eyes were wide, staring into his intensely, seemingly captured by his gaze. He could see her entire expression from his position beneath her. When they had landed, she had ended up quite comfortably straddling his stomach, so her entire expression, as well as his, were in full view. And he didn't like it one bit.

Ria's eyes managed to dart just behind the boy, spotting a beyblade dish. _Hmm… all right, girl, pull out all the stops. Home 11, Broadway actress Cynthia Brooke. Put what you learned to use!_ She turned on the charm, suddenly taking on a coy look rather than the awed one she knew she'd been sporting.

"So, what's your name? Or should I try and guess?" She earned a small laugh as he offered his hand and helped her up. She dusted herself off lightly as Kai stood up behind her and dusted himself off as well.

"Seth. And how about you? Let me guess… Jessica? Or maybe Belle?" he queried, grinning at her flirtatiously. She smirked, looking him over, her eyes beginning to shine with sly playfulness.

"Awww, c'mon now! Why should I tell you just like that?" she asked, snapping her fingers for effect. She walked around him, treading lightly and in an overly feminine way. Once she had circled him once, Ria walked behind him to the other side of the beydish. "You have to earn that privilege."

She smirked at him, pulling a blade from her pocket that easily matched her eyes. She reached back with her other hand, and withdrew a Japanese single-bladed sword from a hidden sheath between her shoulder blades beneath her shirt. All those around the dish could see that it was actually a beyblade launcher. He returned her coy smile.

"Alrighty then. If it's a battle you want, I don't see why I shouldn't oblige," he replied. His own blade was fairly plain: blue, white and silver. The new glimmer in his eyes told her that he believed that he would beat her no sweat; she intended to show him otherwise.

"Alright, then. If I beat you, then you don't get anything. If you want a rematch, you have to go through the younger of my elder brothers. From there, you have to beat the elder. After that, no more rematches allowed. If you win, I give you my name. Anything else you would like?" she asked, her eyes giving a small, competitive flash. He smiled.

"How about your number, and your first available Saturday night?"

"Deal."

Ria threw a glance to Kai. He looked at her disapprovingly, but came to stand at the side of the dish, waiting for her competition to come forward. Seth readied his blade.

"3… 2… 1… _**let it rip!**_"

* * *

**AN: Tada! This chapter is really kinda pointless, but it's fun. So have fun. And REVIEW! THIS STORY IS STARVED FOR REVIEWS! IS ANYONE READING THIS?!**


	8. Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star

**Chapter 8- Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star **

The two blades circled the dish. Ria looked like an unsure amateur next to Seth, and Kai was a little embarrassed about it. He knew she was so much better than this; she'd been better than this when he'd left her all those years ago! Had it really been that long since she'd had a good practice?

"So, you really think I'm going to have trouble earning you?" he asked, watching as her blade was sent reeling by a simple head-on slam. The attack was just supposed to make her fight; instead, she seemed weaker than ever. "So, how about your name, so I can at least shake your hand and know who you are at the same time?"

"You have very little faith in me, don't you?" she asked coyly. For some reason, her glance darted to Rei. His golden eyes showed her that he didn't trust this guy. Her eyes turned to Max. The same distrust could easily be found in his water-blue orbs. Her flirtatious smile disappeared, and her competitive side was immediately shown. "You ought to watch what you say, the animals might hear you."

"What animals?" he asked confusedly.

"The ones in my blade," she stated. His confusion didn't dissipate any. She smiled. That was perfectly all right with her. She didn't need her little friends to beat this guy anyway. Her beyblade pulled away from where it had been caught in a crushing attack beneath her opponent's, a wicked smile covering her face.

_Twinkle, twinkle, little star,_

_How I wonder what you are!_

_Up above the world so high,_

_Like a diamond in the sky!_

_Twinkle, twinkle little star,_

_How I wonder what you are!_

The cute little nursery rhyme distracted him for only a second, but he easily watched as a pink fog surrounded her blade. A wind began to pick up around the dish, blowing harder with each second that passed. Streams of light appeared occasionally, sparking like shooting stars through the funnel of winds that surrounded bladers and spectators alike. She smiled girlishly.

"I call this the 'Super Star' attack!" she called over the sounds of the winds. The sparks of light shot out of the air stream and into the dish, swirling and twisting about themselves in multicolored luminescent rivulets. When the sparkles and last glimmers disappeared, Seth's blade was nowhere to be found. He looked around, an urgent expression on his face.

"Hey! What happened to my blade?!" he exclaimed. Ria glanced around comfortably, and giggled slightly, pointing behind him.

"Try the hole in that tree. I think that's where it took up residence." He quickly ran over to the tree, shouting obscenities at her all the way. Her eyes widened in shock. "And to think I actually left his blade in one piece. What in the world was I thinking?"

Kai let out a raucous laugh, tears of joy beginning to stream down his face as he picked her up and swung her around joyfully. They entire teamed cheered for her as she joined her brother in laughter. Why think about Seth? He wasn't worth her time if he'd cuss her out just for beating him in a beyblade match!

"Why did you look like a lame duck out there, huh?" Rei managed to ask through his laughter.

"I was actually going to let him win! Can you believe it? I wanted to go out with him! Can you believe how stupid I was?" she asked, her head rolling back and letting out another round of giggles.

"I don't know what you did, Ria, but it was awesome!" Tyson complemented, finally over his joyous mirth. She giggled as Kai finally returned her feet to the ground.

"Trust me, you don't _**even **_want to know!"

* * *

"Ria-kia, whatcha doin'?" asked Max, setting his chin on her shoulder. She giggled as his breath ghosted across her cheek.

"Makin' Lady Fingers."

"What's that?"

"Lady Fingers? They're this really fun recipe I learned a long time ago," she said, scrunching as his breath tickled her neck. "Hey, would you go fly a kite? That tickles!"

"Oh? Are you really ticklish?" he asked, backing off a little bit. She threw a playful glance over her shoulder.

"And you really think I'm gonna tell you?" He smirked, but she looked at him with a look that was clearly a don't-you-dare-or-you'll-regret-it look. He dismissed it anyway, suddenly jumping at her and tickling her ribcage and neck. The next minute, he backed off, something soft and sweet in his mouth and all over his face. He swallowed and looked up at her.

"What the heck is that?!" She grinned cheekily.

"Powdered sugar. Now you can go to the store and get me some more, since you made me waste what little I had. Tootles!"

* * *

Kai was looking for Ria to tell her that her cookies are ready and that he had already removed them from the oven for her, but she seemed to have completely disappeared. The soft sounds of whirring beyblades caught his ears, and he walked to the dojo's garden. Ria and Rei were standing next to the pond, their beyblades spinning in front of them. She slowly lifted her hand and locked her fingers with his softly. Kai could see that she was murmuring something to him, and in response, Rei closed his eyes, seeming to concentrate. She continued to murmur to the boy in a low voice, and he began to hum a small tune. It was so quiet that he couldn't hear the exact notes, but it was there. Ria began to sing, and it was only a moment before he could understand the words:

_Up above the world so high,_

_Like a diamond in the sky…_

Their beyblades glowed in unison, and the wind around them began to pick up just as with her Super Star attack, but they recalled their blades to their hands, stopping the attack as soon as the stars had been visible in the wind's vortex. The two grinned at each other, and Kai decided that he'd better just act like nothing had happened. He took a deep breath, and walked around the corner. The two turned to look at him in surprise.

"They were done, so I took them out of the oven. Keep a closer eye on your kitchen projects please," he said, before turning and going back inside. Ria and Rei looked at each other, and then back towards where Kai had been standing, their thoughts completely in sync.

_Ok… what was that?_

* * *

**AN: Here it is. REVIEW, would you? (_cries over lack of reviews_)**


	9. Teach Me, Sensei

**Chapter 9- Teach Me, Sensei**

Hilary walked briskly through the gates of the dojo, only stopping long enough to listen for the sounds of spinning blades, and when she found none, she smirked with pleasure. She might be late, but she was still going to get an opportunity to try out her new air horn after all.

She took off her shoes, and slid the screen door open, her sock feet creeping over the floor silently. She tried to identify which figures were which, but almost all of them had the covers over their head to defend against the morning sun.

_All right, this one here is definitely Kai… that's obviously Max… I that must be Rei… I think that's Kenny, so that last one over there next to the far wall must be Tyson!_ She grinned in thought of what she was about to do. It didn't really matter who she got, she just liked bugging Tyson more then the others. She crept quietly to his side and…

_**Hooonnnkkk!**_

"EEYAII WOMAN! GET AWAYYYYAHHHH!!!!"

Much to the brunette's shock, it was a _girl_ beneath the covers, and one she didn't recognize at that! Laughter broke out behind her, and she turned to see the majority of the team laughing their fool heads off. All except Kai, who, to the surprise of everyone present, turned over and buried his head beneath his pillow.

"Wake up, Ria-kia, it's a beautiful day!"

* * *

Ria stirred a yellow, soupy substance in a bowl quickly, beating it thoroughly. Her teammates watched as she dashed in little bits of various other ingredients as she went, a fine red powder here, a dash of something blue there, and a creamy white liquid to finish. She stirred it vigorously, before pouring a portion of it into a pan. It sizzled and bubbled in the heat, a delectable smell rising from the stove as she continued to move about the kitchen. Every few minutes, she would come back and take some of the cakes off of the pan, or flip them over, but she always seemed as if all her movements were timed and precise.

"Ria-kia, c'mon, take a break!" Max called to her from the table. She didn't look at him, still busied with some preparations, but she did speak.

"Maxie, I'll come sit down when I please. The meal hasn't been finished yet, therefore I do not sit, understood?" He sighed, a little depressed that she was spoiling them like this and not having any pleasure herself. Things gradually made their way to the table; a jar of preserves here, a plate of bacon there, and one very large plate of a special sausage that she wanted them to try. The last thing that she brought to the table was an _enormous_ plate of pancakes. "Ok, dig in!"

Not that she had to tell them twice or anything, you understand.

"Ria, what is this?" Hilary asked, looking at the sausage skeptically. The aforementioned looked up, a corner of her mouth curling just the tiniest bit in a half-smile.

"If I told you, you might not eat it. Let's just say it's a special southern recipe. A little spicy, but not that bad," she replied. The colorful brunette speared a couple of pieces, dropping one onto her plate and popping the other in her mouth. "It's really good, but knowing the ingredients are probably dangerous to your mental health. At least, with some people it is."

"C'mon, Ria-kia! I think it's good!" Max called from the other end of the table. "Tell! What is it, a secret recipe?"

"No, but you might wish it _was_ a secret if I tell you," she told him with a shrug. "At least, that's the reaction I get sometimes."

"C'mon, 'Ria-kia', tell!" her brother said, a smirk playing across his features as he imitated Max's nickname for her. She rolled her eyes at him.

"As you wish. This is spicy venison sausage, made from Mississippi whitetail."

"You mean…" Hilary went pale, "DEER MEAT?!"

* * *

"All right, just like yesterday, ok?" Ria whispered, locking her fingers with Rei's. He nodded slightly. "Begin."

He hummed the small lullaby softly, and she began to sings the words, her voice seeming to caress each one with a certain tenderness. Their blades began to pick up speed in front of them, and he felt the four winds pick up, swirling around them in a ceaseless vortex. A spark shot through one of the channels, pink energy crackling through the air behind it. Another appeared, and another a moment later. With a quick signal, the two of them summoned their blades back to their hands. Ria giggled in excitement.

"You got it! You're ready to go solo on that one!" she squealed, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. He laughed at her enthusiasm.

"That wasn't hard at all!" he said, looking down at his glowing Driger bit. She, too, glanced down at his blade. "It was so simple once you showed me how it worked!"

"I'm not one for complicated stuff," she said, releasing him with a shrug. "I thought about it while watching the stars one night. Big surprise, huh?"

"Yeah, real big."

They smiled at each other softly. He could see the pride glittering in her eyes. Rei vaguely felt a blush slipping over his cheeks, and he glanced away. Those excited eyes seemed to wake up a flock of hummingbirds in the pits of his stomach, thousands of tiny, beating wings making their presence known. He ran his hand through the unruly bangs that framed his face nervously.

"What? Not used to having a crush on your teacher?" she asked him teasingly. His shocked gaze snapped to meet hers. "Or is it just the fact that this is the first time that teacher was actually in your age-range, hmm?"

The blush on his face intensified along with the smirk on her own features. She turned around and skipped a few paces, shouting in a sing-song voice:

"Rei's got a crush! Rei's got a crush!"

* * *

"I can't believe I was so wrapped up in how awesome her attack was that I actually asked her to teach me!" Rei fumed to Kai later that day. The wolfish boy smirked at his friend's predicament.

"Oh, it's not that part that's got me worried, it's the part of how are you going to handle this _particular _situation. After all, you can't say you have a girlfriend; you'd be lying. Mariah is going with Miguel and everyone knows it. And I wouldn't appreciate your lying to my sister."

Rei stared at him blankly. "You're not going to help me with this any, are you?"

"None whatsoever."

* * *

**AN: Here. Since no-one reviews, I won't even bother to comment. (_pouts_)**


	10. The McGregor Estate

_**Disclaimer:** Iya-chan does not own Beyblade._

**Chapter 10- The McGregor Estate**

"Ria-kia, c'mon we're almost there!" Max said gently, trying to shake the sleeping teen awake. She swatted his hand away lazily. Kai peeked over the seat at him.

"You might as well give up Max and just fasten her seatbelt for her. I'll carry her out when we get to the airport if you'll get my bag," he said, an eyebrow cocked playfully in the blonde's direction. He sighed, and followed the elder teen's suggestion, fastening the belt around her middle and tightening it to a fit.

"Tell me again why we're going to Johnny's place instead of Robert's?" he asked, settling himself beneath his own belt.

"Because the tournament isn't for another couple days and Gustov thinks we're a menace to society," Kenny piped up. "And Robert's still a little busy overseeing the preparations of Olympia Stadium."

"Riiiggghhht…" the blonde drawled skeptically. His glance wandered over his comrades, his eyes sparkling when they landed on Tyson and Hilary. The two had, surprisingly, decided to sit together on this particular ride. Rei had chosen to seat himself next to Kai, and he, himself, had taken the seat next to Koriya. Kenny had his seat to himself; the plane was a private charter that Johnny had sent for them. It was a surprise to the group that he would be so nice, but when Tyson had called him up and asked about it, he explained saying that it was merely a thanks for straightening out Barthez Battalion.

When they exited the plane about ten minutes later onto the Scottish champ's private runway, Kai had a very drowsy Koriya draped over his back, still sound asleep and oblivious to the outside world. Her rumpled brown hair fell over his shoulders in haphazard directions, and the blue ribbons that tied her hair back in a pair of ponytails were nearly hidden beneath the cascades. The wolfish boy paused for a moment to heft her higher on his back.

"Ugh! Kai! What the heck do you have in this thing?! Bricks?!" Max called irritably as he toted the thing in both arms, his backpack strapped over his shoulders handily. The boy chuckled a bit.

"Nah. Koriya and I packed our stuff in the same bag, that's all. We used to do that all the time when we were little," he replied. "We may not have had each other very long, but our dad was good to us. Sometimes he'd take us to the zoo or a park for the day, and we'd pack our lunches and everything together."

"You must've been in the habit of toting furniture," he grumbled in return. Again, the boy laughed softly.

"No, but Ria has a habit of carrying every extra beyblade part she can if she goes to any kind of a tournament."

A butler greeted them but a moment later and usurped the bags, including Kai and Koriya's, toting them all at once. It was a shock to the entire team, except the conked-out Koriya, of course, that he could carry such a weight. Kai looked on in vague interest, but wasn't surprised at the man's strength. Most butlers had to be strong to handle half the stuff they had to do. He led them to a parlor of sorts on the second floor, where Kai laid his still dead-to-the-world sister on a plush couch to continue her nap.

"Master Johnny will be with you soon," the butler told them briskly, before bowing and stiffly making his way out the door. The rich living room was decorated with exquisite taste; red, gold and rich, dark brown decorated the place with an essence of fire; truly, it was flame, for representations of all fire in mythology were present from the mytras and pheonixes to the beast Salamalyon himself. It practically defined masculinity.

The butler was correct. In no more than five minutes, Johnny entered the room, a surprisingly congenial, if not a bit competitive, smile on his face. He shook hands with Tyson, giving an enthusiastic greeting.

"So, where'd you come up with a girl for your team? Or are you not competing for fear you'll lose to us in an even worse déjà vu?" the sapphire-haired teen asked slyly. The Scotsman took no offence, but the sarcasm that was only his was still present, having dissipated none despite the vengeance wreaked for his team by the boy.

"Gee, do you really doubt Enrique that much? I thought you knew him better than that!" The team shared a laugh at the friendly jab. "And you? Robert has received letters of acceptance from both White Tiger X and the PPB; where would you get one? Or did you give your cheerleader a crash course?"

Hilary was a little indignant at the comment, but she settled for muttering a few choice threats under her breath. Her preferred option would've been to crack the vase next to her over his head, but undoubtedly Tyson would've been angry with her.

Sigh. Dadgummit, the things she did for him…

"Take a wild guess as to who had the connection," Rei taunted. The flame-haired blader did try, but they all knew that such a guess was pretty much beyond the stretch of any human mind that had an IQ over one when concerning a certain wolfish team captain. His grin perfectly matched a satisfied cat's after devouring his mistress's prize canary; it was quite cute, actually. Koriya would've had that same cocked-head interest as she'd had before if she'd seen it. Johnny finally gave up. Rei leaned against the wall and cockily jerked his head in Kai's direction. As predicted, McGregor's jaw met the proverbial floor. He turned to look at the nekojin once again, trying to re-wet his, now very dry, mouth as he queried of him.

"And… where is she?" Rei nodded in Kai's direction, and, in turn, the slate-haired boy pointed down onto the couch next to him. The youth walked over to the sofa hesitantly, and again, his jaw nearly hit the floor at the appearance of the girl. He wasn't one to believe in the concept of love at first sight, but even he was hard pressed to ignore the thoughts of how beautiful she was. She was dressed in a tight, electric blue kimono-style top and dark leather cargo pants, and her rumpled brown hair was showing evidence of auburn highlights in the lighting of the room. She was… _drop dead __**gorgeous!**_

Kai leaned over to where he could look Johnny in the eye and smirked, eyes flashing dangerously.

"You lay one hand on my sister and I'll kill you."

That was it. Johnny told the conscious world bye-bye and nighty-night, and the floor rug became his pillow. The resounding 'thump' that he caused was finally enough to wake the sleeping teen up. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, but when her glance met the floor, she blinked before glancing up at her brother and narrowing her eyes.

"Just great. You killed him before I had time to toy with his mind. You owe me a toy."

* * *

**_NOTE: THIS STORY IS VERY OLD. IT HAS BEEN COMPLETE SINCE ABOUT THREE YEARS AGO. IF YOU'RE GOING TO CRITICIZE STYLE, I POLITELY REQUEST THAT YOU LOOK AT MY MORE CURRENT WORKS, TO BE FOUND IN THE NARUTO FANDOM, AND UNDER THE NINETAILED ANGEL PROJECTS ACCOUNT ALSO ON THIS SITE._**

**AN: Well, I'm back and alive! Not that my reviewers ever were when I started posting this again. Has anyone even heard that there's a new Beyblade season coming out this summer? I'm serious. NEW. BEYBLADE. SEASON. I've been jumping up and down almost since the moment I heard. And it's going to be about the Bladebreakers' KIDS, for heaven's sake. Can it get any more awesome? (yes, probably, but we won't go there.) Enjoy your new chapter and please review, because I wanna know that, even if it's old, it's appreaciated.**

_PS: Rejoice! Monday, June 9th, is Uchiha Itachi's birthday, Naruto-lovers, and I will be updating my fic "Soul-Mirror" in his honor, as well as posting a new fic called "Slipknot." For those of you who intend to read Slipknot but are not up-to-date with the manga as it is coming out in Japan, I warn you ahead of time about spoilers!_


	11. Force

_**Disclaimer:** Iya-chan does not own Beyblade_

**Chapter 11- Force**

"C'mon Ria, I apologize already!"

Kai was practically begging her to forgive him as he followed her through the gardens. They seemed to run on forever; the foliage was tame enough, but cats kept dropping out of the Spanish-moss-covered trees.

"You still owe me a toy!"

* * *

Johnny stirred on his bed, groaning as he turned over. His mind, for now, was merely a blank slate, void of any information other than what his senses were sending him in accordance with the throbbing pain in his head. Thinking was too painful; he'd try that later. He lifted his head, a few locks of dark red hair dropping down to hang limply in front of his face, due to a certain headband being MIA from its usual position. As he flipped them back, though, he was thankful to see a friendly pair of hands holding out a couple of Tylenol and a glass of water. He gratefully accepted it, gulping the pills and contents of the glass down in only two or three swallows, his mind finally managing to form a single, coherent word.

_Relief…_

"You shouldn't be so fascinated with her that you faint; Kai might try out his jujitsu on you or something later. For now you're safe, though. Koriya's acting like she's mad at him. In all reality, she has him wrapped around her little finger, though I'm not much better off."

The bleary-eyed Scotsman looked up into intense blue eyes. He was a little surprised that it was Max taking care of him rather than someone else; he'd never really talked to the blonde before. The boy smiled sympathetically.

"Thanks."

"No problem. Ty's busy trying to keep the others in line right now, so he asked me to take care of you since your butler was AWOL," he replied, a bright smile on his face as he bounced off the bed and across the room to refill the glass. The Scotsman groaned at the genki temperament, burying his head under the pillow again. He heard Max say something to him again, but the words were muffled beyond recognition, so he lifted the feathered sack and muttered that oh-so-intelligent, oh-so-infamous 'huh'. "I said, 'I still have my misgivings about us all being family, but I'm working on it.' Beyond that, I was just going to suggest that you go for a spin with someone to help clear your head. Maybe Ria'll actually let Kai off for a while if she has a chance to battle you."

Johnny blinked. Battle that girl? She was too gorgeous to be that good, right? They had to be kidding. She was more a beauty queen than anything else!

_Ok, McGregor, start with the basics, _he mentally coached himself, willing his gelatin-feeling body to erect. He clutched his head painfully, noting that his vision was like looking through water without goggles on. Painful.

"So… her name is Ria?" he asked haltingly, mentally begging the room to stop the roller coaster ride on which his brain had been taken. Max shook his head, handing him the second glass of water.

"Nah, that's just her nickname. Her real name is Koriya Rayne Hiwatari. I think… I don't remember if she changed it to Mizuhara or not when my mom adopted her. She'll probably follow Kai's example with whatever he decides to do. I think it would be really cool if they did, though, because…"

At that moment, Johnny's sickness kicked into high gear, so he stumbled to his feet and ran towards his bathroom where he instantly emptied the contents of his stomach into the toilet, complements of the smoked salmon he'd had for lunch. An empathetic hiss came from his bedroom, and a recommendation of staying away from Pepto-Bismol. Something about that only making it worse…

The blonde left the room, and he quickly showered and changed his clothes. Already he was feeling a bit better, and the prospect of checking out the competition seemed interesting enough. It still seemed to him that she would be nothing more than a beauty queen, but if Kai had suggested her, she might be worth his while.

"Koriya, huh?" he murmured, smirking as he went back over his memory of her. He bounded over the balcony railing and onto the trellis in a single, practiced movement. In two minutes, he was on the ground and following vague, pleading shouts through the garden. He pulled back behind a large oak and watched as the girl he had seen earlier dashed though the underbrush.

"I don't care! You owe me a toy!"

"What kind of toy?"

She turned to him so quickly she nearly lost her balance, stumbling a bit and ending up with her back to a tree several feet away. She stared at him, and for a moment he was taken aback by the thundery-gray and metallic violet hues dancing and swirling curiously in her eyes. For a moment, her breaths came in heavy pants, and when they subsided gradually, silence festered between them, the only things to be heard being the songbirds and desperate calls of her eldest brother. Her eyes softened from shock to some indefinable emotion, something he found like drugging warmth she sent him by merely looking into his eyes, even though he felt that the strangely colored orbs were searching him to his very soul. She looked at him in such a way… he could only think of it as soft, innocent sensuality. An allure that was beckoning to him, though obviously she was unaware of it.

"Who… are you?" she asked softly, her low voice warm, almost like a deep purr. He thought he was going to faint again, but the light-headed sensations subsided when he noticed the silver and amethyst beyblade that she clutched to her chest lightly. Suddenly, she looked at him skeptically, her eyes narrowing in distrust. "Were you following me?"

The hardening in her voice drew him the rest of the way out of his reverie, causing him to laugh nervously and scratch the back of his head.

"Nah, I was just looking for the nearest team member so I could find out where everyone else was. I guess I _was_ kinda hoping to run into you, after your brother suggested I, uh, battle you…"

She still looked at him doubtfully. "And your name?"

"Johnny McGregor."

"OH! Why didn't you say so?" (_Johnny does anime fall_)

"Ria!"

At long last, Kai had finally managed to catch up with her. He sent an angry glare (well, Koriya could tell he was play-acting) the redhead's way, and rested his hands on his knees as he attempted to draw a little more oxygen into his lungs than he had been getting for the last three hours. Going at a canter through three miles of forest searching for a two-time track winner over such a length of time, well… it would be a little hard on the respiratory system, don't you think? She smiled at him brightly.

"Looks like you don't owe me a toy after all, oniichan! The way he was staring at my beyblade was practically a direct challenge!" she chirped, tossing an amiable arm around her captain's shoulders. He was stunned for a moment, but it only took him a minute to register the crazy turn-around. She turned to the Scotsman with a playful gleam in her eye. "A challenge that I eagerly accept."

"Good. But blame your brother if you lose. It was his idea." She blinked at stared at him blankly. "What?"

"Which brother? Kai's been trying to catch up with me ever since we left your house; you mean Maxie?"

"They're related?" he asked playfully. She nodded vigorously.

"Yupperz! Well… then again, I'm really their only link since the adoption papers for Kai haven't been fully processed yet," she said, propping her head on a finger in thought. Johnny stared at her blankly. Kai and Max brothers… he almost shivered at the thought. Anti-social and ultra-genki was not the most wonderful pairing he could think of. She was kidding, wasn't she? "After all, we only just started it through about a week ago."

"Ria?"

She looked up at her big brother innocently. "Yes?"

"You're talking too much."

* * *

The Bladebreakers watched from the sidelines while the two players circled the dish, measuring one another up. Ria seemed perfectly relaxed, though the air held some tension; Johnny looked a little skeptical of his competition. After all, she was just a girl, a beauty queen; the only things she was probably any good at were walking down a runway and shopping, or so he thought.

_Her blade's movements are erotic, it's attacks aren't timed, there's __**no **__rhythm whatsoever… how does she land attacks with how random her technique seems? There's no pattern at all!_ he though, watching as her blade did almost a football number: faking an attack from the right, and then coming down hard on his left. It was like a game of cat and mouse; cat pounced, and backed away, waited for the mouse's movement, and then pounces again. If anything, that was her only pattern, but from there it was never predictable in what way she would strike him next. It was all he could do to mount a proper defense, but he wasn't about to let her show him up. With a mighty battle cry, he called Salamalyon from his beybit to battle her. For a moment, she cocked her head in interest, making a cutesy 'oooh' sort of face. With that, a smirk lit her features.

"Awww, little Nyx wants to play too! But Ria mustn't let her; she might harm John-John's beyblade if she does!" she said, tacking on an almost-innocent giggle. He wasn't sure who Nyx was; maybe it was her bitbeast; he didn't know, and didn't care. That chaste five-year-old act was enough to drive him insane with how hard it was to keep up his guard! She just looked so _cute_ with that adorable puppy face on…! He had to shake it off!

"I am a powerful force; don't forget that, Koriya Rayne. I don't give up that easily."

* * *

**AN: It's BAAAACK. Not that anyone's reviewing or cares to notice, but here it is anyway.**


	12. Devil in Disguise

**Chapter 12- Devil in Disguise**

A barrage of fiery attacks ensued after his comment; so many, that she barely had time to think. Koriya knew that he was good by his reputation, but… that didn't mean she could lose to him! Her teammates were watching… her _brothers _were watching! She couldn't disappoint them like this! Johnny was an interesting man… she would give him that, but… this was no time for her spur-of-the-moment psychiatric evaluations! Or… was it…?

"Say Johnny? Just why do you think you have to be powerful, huh? After all, there are some people who don't have physical prowess, but rather intellectual strength; is something wrong with the latter over the former?" she asked calmly of him. Obviously, he was beginning to struggle with his concentration even more. _Geez, home 3 seems to come in handy in more ways than one…!_

"Because the _latter_ is something I don't have!"

Salamalyon pushed her back, the force of the impact nearly sending her blade out of the dish. For the first time, her teammates saw her flinch.

"It's something everyone possesses; why would you say such a thing?" she queried again calmly. Again, his concentration faltered.

"Because I do!"

Another thrust that sent her reeling. With his frustration came the harder blows; she could see that now; but… they were also less calculated than the ones he held perfect concentration for. If she could just do it one more time…!

"Come now! As a brilliant strategist and master of battle, you feel you have no such abilities?" she teased lightly. _There!_

Just as his concentration faltered to process her words, she rammed her beyblade into his, sending the great salamander back with a crash. She mentally cringed for the beautiful topiary garden the beast had just ruined, but her concentration held. For some reason, she found certain various songs running through her head, and as she found one that particularly delighted her for the moment, which somehow ended up being the Aly and AJ rendition of 'Walking on Sunshine'. Her blade pulsed with a bright aurora of colors to the tune, and at last some semblance of an attack pattern began to surface in her play, though it was too late for the redheaded youth to do anything about it. She cracked a smile as a random thought found its way to the fore of her mind.

_Salamalyon, this is a tree. Tree, this is a Salamalyon. I hope you get along, because the Salamalyon will be stuck in this convenient beyblade-shaped hole in the tree for awhile._

Yeah, it was gonna be there until someone could find a pair of pliers small enough to fit into the perfectly sized hole. And on spur of the moment, she went up and planted a kiss on his cheek, her lips just barely glinting off his skin in a soft caress of sorts. He looked at her like she'd lost her fool mind, evoking a giggle as she made her way back towards the house, her brothers hotly protesting the action she'd taken.

"You may be a powerful force, Johnny McGregor, but I am a Devil in Disguise."

* * *

Ria dangled her legs over the side of the third-story balcony, her thoughts a blank slate as she stared at the stars and halfway processed the conversation behind her. The night was dark, the sky clear, perfect for stargazing. She mentally identified the constellations as she came to them: Capricorn, Pegasus, Orion, Canus major and minor, Ursa Major and minor…

"What's up?"

The question was soft, tainted a bit with concern, and basically more of a roundabout way of asking if she was alright. Rei, as always, was a soft-spoken, slightly roguish gentleman. It sounded like an odd combination, even in her ears, but from even such as short time as she had known him, it was a perfect description. His presence was strong, and she could tell that he was standing close behind her, this confirmed with a slight glance over her shoulder. She leaned backward and braced herself against his chest as she would've her brothers'; she still didn't quite know what to make of him, but it was amusing when his body temperature instantly rose about six degrees.

"What star-sign are you?" she asked in return. He fumbled with his words for a few minutes.

"Leo." She giggled, her half-lidded eyes scanning the sky sleepily.

"No surprise there…" she murmured. "See those stars there? That's Leo."

Rei looked up at the sky, and knowing his constellations fairly well, found it in no time. She was right; it was there, plain as day. His vision searched the sky to find the North Star, and once had had done so, he directed his attention to the east, his eyes somehow landing on a tall mountain. His home… his home village was in that direction. The nekojin briefly wondered if Miguel was there then, or if his teammates had already left to journey to this familiar place. Maybe the boy would come with them…?

He was startled out of his thoughts by the deep sigh emitted by his female companion. Ria had quite obviously fallen asleep, or so it would seem. She murmured something incoherent, turning and burying her head into his chest. He blushed again, and smiled a little. Picking her up, he carried her through the, now empty, dining hall and up to her room. Rei laid her on the bed and removed her shoes, tossing them into the closet before tucking her under the covers. On a thought, he pulled the ribbons from her hair, letting the tresses tumble haphazard and free about her as he placed them on the table next to her. He pushed back the strands from her face, and moved towards the door. A swift, silent flick of the wrist extinguished the exquisite chandelier, and before he left, he couldn't help but glance back and smile a little once more.

"Can't win for losing, can I? You can be such and angel, you little devil."

* * *

**AN: No, I don't really know Rei's star-sign, and as for the comment about a beyblade-shaped hole in a tree, I actually borrowed that from an Inuyasha fic called "Innocent Ears, Crossed Eyes and a Bit of Tongue." Believe me. Read it. It's AWESOME. As for me, this story is like... FOUR YEARS OLD. So please forgive how much it sucks. (_pouts_) Well, REVIEW PLEASE~!**


	13. Old Friends

**Chapter 13- Old Friends**

Kai attempted to move beneath the covers, but a lead weight had, somehow, stationed itself firmly on his stomach. A bare shoulder made its way above the blankets, and he immediately buried back under from the cold, and was relieved when the weight seemed to leave him. Silence prevailed in the room, and he attempted to drift back to sleep, sure that the cold indicated it was still pre-dawn.

Two seconds later, had found himself face-down on the floor, the mattress on top of him and a hyper Ria and Max laughing raucously at the shocked expression on his face.

"Ohayo, oniichan! No sleeping in today!"

"Wai, wai, the Tournament begins!" Ria cheered, dancing around in circles energetically. She was obviously excited, ne? Kai attempted to get her calmed down, but it was no use. He sighed heavily.

"Ok, who let Ria-chan into the pastries this morning?"

Timidly, Max held up his hand and laughed nervously. The older boy sighed again, but before he could say anything, the blonde beat him to it. "I know, I know. I honestly just forgot! Besides… that puppy face was just _too cute_…!"

The group laughed. True, they had seen neither hide nor hair of Johnny since the colorful teen had beaten him the day before, nor had they seen any familiar competitors as of yet, but they assumed that soon enough meeting the old friends would be inevitable. Suddenly, Ria looked around, this awareness evoking a unified sigh of relief from her brothers. She looked up at them innocently.

"Hey, where'd Rei go? Anybody seen him?"

To their dismay, the nekojin was nowhere to be found. Ria wandered off in the direction of their locker room, wondering if he had left for some pre-game meditation rather than sticking around for all the fun chaos.

"It's so good to see you again!"

"Yeah, hasn't it just been nine forevers?"

She heard this coming from one of the other locker rooms, the one that was right across the hall from theirs.

_Wasn't that first voice Rei? I wonder who the girl is…? _she thought, sneaking up to the threshold silently. He shouldn't be interacting with the competition on such a personal level, should he? Ria paused to evaluate herself, cross-examining her thinking. Wait a minute… she couldn't possibly be jealous… could she? _No, no, no! I know that I like Johnny for some inexplicable reason, but what's up with this?! Is my brain even screwier than I figured?! For heaven's sake, it's not like he's __**mine**__…_

"How are you these days? You haven't written lately; spending too much time training, aren't you?"

"Are you kidding? I could never spend too much time on it! I'm probably even further behind than Kevin by now!"

"Oh, Mariah, you've always been just as good, if not better than, Kevin. Don't put yourself down so much, ok?"

"Liar. You're just trying to make me feel better. I can't even beat Miguel these last few days!"

Ok, so by now Koriya had officially had enough, ne? She pushed the door open and walked in innocently, acting like she hadn't heard a word, and glanced back and forth between the two.

When she spoke, it was in Russian. (_Rei does anime fall_)

"Ria, I believe that Mariah wouldn't object to you speaking in plain English," he said, his face showing how truly ticked he was. She grinned.

"C'mon, Rei-rei! I was just wondering who she was! Ne? So, are you going to tell me?" she begged eagerly. He moaned as the pink-haired girl helped him up.

"Mariah, this is our new teammate and Kai and Max's sister. Ria, this is my friend Mariah; we grew up together. Her big brother and I are best friends."

The girls looked at each other. They glanced back at Rei with looks that only a well-worded female linguist could understand. Understandably, both were thinking, _And why exactly is __she__ with you?_

Poor Rei. So close to meeting his demise and he doesn't have a clue.

"Mariah!"

The threesome turned to the door, and a blonde-haired boy with sapphire-like eyes entered, his hands stuffed casually in his pockets. He looked at the neko no shojo (cat girl, I think), and then to Ria, before his eyes came to land on Rei, which he then greeted casually. "Hey, how's it going? Who's she?"

"Our new teammate," the Chugokujin boy replied, a sigh escaping his lips. Ria blinked. And who was this joker that was trying to look like a rock star? She cocked a skeptical eyebrow in his direction. "Ria, this is Miguel, Mariah's boyfriend."

She stared at him blankly for another second or two, before wordlessly grabbing Rei's arm, dragging him off as he protested loudly the whole way. Three hallways, two sign-up sheets and an hour later, they finally managed to catch up with the rest of the team, which had, since her mention of it, been searching for their missing member. He was practically pounced on by Tyson and Max, and he handed his blade to a frantic Chief as they made their way back to their locker room. He glanced at Ria, but she was staring off into space, her eyes glazed over and distant. The tiger-boy remained thoroughly bumfuzzled.

_What did I do…?_

_

* * *

**AN: Okay, I'm finally resuming this repost! For anyone who doesn't know, I completed this story when I was fourteen. That's nearly FIVE YEARS AGO now. So I can assure you, my current writing style is totally different from this. At any rate, please review; this story is lonely. It needs some love. Please.**_


	14. Game Begin!

**Chapter 14- Games Begin!**

It was my turn. Max and Rei had gone first against the… was it F Dynasty? Yes, that's who it was, and it was decided that, for the third match, Julia and I would battle. I was… actually _nervous_. I had never battled with so many people watching me before. DJ Jazzman, as always, was over-energetic in announcing my stats, which didn't seem all that impressive compared to hers. She scoffed at me, and I did my best to not let her see that I felt like my feet were going to go numb and have me fall flat on my face.

"So, you're the one the Bladebreakers chose, huh? Pardon, but you look like a pathetic little schoolgirl/model wannabe, not a World-class beyblader," she laughed, flipping her golden mane back over her shoulder as she readied herself. I said nothing. I was supposed to be careful; these people, just like Johnny, were bladers that had been to the Championships and back. And according to oniichan, they were one of the three finalists from that year's line-up.

"3… 2… 1… _**let it rip!**_"

We launched, though Julia seemed a little surprised by the hidden katana that was my launcher. I couldn't help but feel that something was very wrong about this match… or was it just me? My clothes didn't set against my skin properly. My blade, Nightwing, seemed to be moving erratically, her movements not quite as fluid as they usually were. Something was missing, but what could it have been…?

I could hear my opponent calling me, trying to taunt me more than likely, but my mind was busy going through a mental checklist of things trying to figure out what in the world was wrong with me. Was Mama sick? No. Were one of my teammates or brothers hurt? No, again. Had I forgotten to do something that morning? Nothing that came to mind. Julia continued to try and get my attention. I could see nothing about the match to be alerted about; at the moment, I was defending more than anything else, but it wasn't as though I wasn't putting up a fight, or was letting her win. What could have possibly been the matter…?

"Hey you! The one who's standing there staring into space! Where's my opponent, huh? Why won't you fight back?" Julia called at the impassive teen. She was completely unresponsive; was it that she was merely analyzing her technique for use at a later date if she were to win? The performer was hardly a patient woman, and the mere glazed-eyes slack-jaw I-am-practically-in-a-trance look that was gracing the girl's face was driving her absolutely batty. In frustration, she decided to turn up the heat. "Thunder Pegasus!"

The sparkling, bright winged-being emerged from her blade with a great call, it's hooves pounding the air as it charged Koriya's blade again. The trance did not lift, so it seemed, but her head did tilt back a ways, looking up into the very electrical current of the beast's mane as though it were nothing that surprised or alarmed her. Impassive as ever, her blade did more fighting then she did. With the mare's sudden, vicious attack, the lavender and silver beyblade had dodged just as it was about to collide with her, leaving her blade to spin completely out-of-control. Though only a couple of seconds later she was completely poised once again.

Kai watched silently, his face cold per usual, but on the inside… he was quaking. What was wrong with her? Why hadn't she finished it off yet? It seemed that with how the crowd was torn and confused Julia wasn't getting as much energy and help from the needed applause, as there was hardly any there. The match was confusing to even Jazzman, so it seemed. The opening round was strange for a tournament, that there would be such a struggle between a newcomer and a veteran player so early on.

It was barely noticeable… but she blinked, and the mist seemed to drift away from her eyes subtly. Her mind cleared, deciding to think on the problem another time. With the magnificent Pegasus before her, rearing its majestic head in frightful glory with an angry scream rising from its throat, she saw at last that her opponent had attempted to make her fight more than a mere defensive battle. She blinked again.

_Attack…_

And two moments later, the dish was half-demolished and her opponent's blade lying, badly damaged, at her feet.

Koriya was in a mist for the rest of the day, her mind trying futilely to identify what was wrong with her. The world seemed to have faded, and voices were no more than background noises barely perceptible to her ears. Touch no longer lingered on her skin, but was merely a wind that was there and gone again. Then… a different touch… a different voice…

Rei pulled Koriya away from the group and into an alley-way. He wasn't sure… but she had been like this ever since she saw him with Mariah that morning. He spoke her name softly, and she seemed to respond to it, so he called her by her nickname. The miasma disappeared from her eyes, and she looked up into his golden orbs as though awaking from a distant dream. He was so stunned that it was only when she slightly cocked her head to indicate she was listening that he realized he'd been about to say something.

"Are you feeling ok? You… started acting really weird… right after you dragged me away from Mariah this morning…"

She looked stunned, then thoughtful. Was that really what had been bothering her? Was she really _jealous _of that cat-girl? Her eyes widened.

Oh, no. She was absolutely, positively _NOT _going to fall in love!

* * *

**AN: ... See? I'm HONESTLY MAKING AN EFFORT THIS TIME. I finished my SAT yesterday, so I'm now officially a himajin~! At least for a little while. Starting... probably Tuesday, I'm going to take writing my book serious again, and treat it like a second job. As it stands, there are only a handful of chapters left on this story, so I'll hopefully get them up pretty quickly.**

**Be sure and look at my profile; I post for a lot more than Beyblade. My best works are actually in the Naruto category. ^^; (That's only because they're the most recent, though~)**

**R&R~!**


	15. Beyond the Darkness

**Chapter 15- Beyond the Darkness; her New Technique**

Ria sat in the center of her bed. The night was the blackest she had ever seen as clouds, heavy-laden with rain, covered over the stars and moon. A single candle was left on the balcony, at the very center of the railing, and the French doors let in the rain-scented zephyrs to toy with the sheer curtains that hung there. A darkness surrounded her like her own aura, though it only mixed with it. The spinning blade at the end of her bed glowed darkly, a light the color of dried blood, as it waited for her command from within the small practice stadium.

_/Flashback; 7-year-old Ria/_

"You can't do anything right! How is it that you can manage to even _live?!_" the angry teacher screamed. Teacher… yes, teacher, but she was also her adoptive mother. "It is a mere physics problem!"

Yeah, only a simple physics problem. I'm supposed to be able to do this… I'm supposed to be smart…

_/Four months later/_

"Ha! Pay up, Ami-chan; Rainy-day _couldn't_ keep that one!"

"Aww, I was sure that lady looked nice enough to keep her…"

"Who would want to keep that lame duck? She can't even learn proper English, and they've even had special tutors trying to teach her. Who'd want to adopt some sort of idiot like _that_?"

_/Two years later/_

No… not another one… not again…

9-year-old Koriya watched as the doctors struggled vainly to revive her adoptive father. The cancer had not been forgiving; they'd told him that with proper treatment he still had a long life ahead of him… and that… he might even beat it.

They had lied.

_/One year later/_

Koriya looked up and about, and did not recognize her surroundings. She was in a large room filled with cots and bunk beds, and about twenty or thirty children were reeking havoc on the place. A kind-looking woman came up to her, smiling brightly.

"Good morning! Are you feeling ok?" Ria looked around fearfully, not understanding. The woman seemed to understand her distress, and explained. "Someone left you wrapped in a pretty blanket on my doorstep; I just couldn't leave you outside in the cold! Are you an orphan, sweetheart…?"

_/End Flashback/_

_I was the unwanted one. The ugly one. The stupid one. The troublesome one. I was the one that no-one could love, or would die trying. I was the unlucky child. A disgrace. A death angel. A curse…_

She opened her eyes, revealing angry depths that stirred like a storm on the sea, churning in a never-ending hurricane of hurt and anger and hate.

_I am the child of those that hate. That is what they told me once. I lied to you, oniichan, I said they called me a "bad-luck child." And they did, many times. But that wasn't all…_

Tears streamed unchecked down her face, the features they graced not even contorting to show the pain she felt. A hurricane picked up about her blade, throwing all the contents of the room into upheaval. Black, curved blades, like those of scimitars, appeared in the kaze, and they ripped to pieces whatever they hit.

_I am… I am the Child of the Dying Destiny…_

They hadn't heard anything. They hadn't seen anything. They hadn't known that anything was wrong. Until they heard screams the next morning.

A maid stood frozen in fear outside Koriya's door, and when they looked inside, they could understand why. From ceiling to floor, the walls were damaged, the carpet torn and every object completely demolished. She and her beyblade lay lifeless on the floor at the end of her bed. Kai and Max went to her side immediately; the rest of her team, along with several maids and butlers, as well as Johnny, looked on in shock and distress. It looked like some nuclear bomb had gone off inside, noiseless as it was.

"Ria? Ria, daijobou?" Kai asked, pulling her into his arms gently. The petite form remained motionless. But… the others were surprised. Kai was trembling. His fingers were threatening to let her go, but he refused to let himself. They couldn't feel it…

_But she's stone cold. Like she's dead…_

But she wasn't. He could feel her heartbeat through the next-to-nothing tank top that she was wearing. It was as though a cloud of cold hatred had enshrouded her, casting her into a darkness from which he could not bring her back. The wolfish boy's grip tightened on her with a conscious effort, drawing her closer to him, if for no other reason than a little warmth. Why was this sorrow… hate… why was it so _tangible?_ He shivered, rubbing her back and arms gently.

"Max, go call a doctor. I want to stay with her; something isn't right about how cold she is," he murmured. The teen quickly complied, and the captain turned to the rest of them. "Tyson, Rei, this is up to you and Max today; Ria is in no condition to compe-!"

He was cut off when she gripped his throat suddenly, dangerously. Her eyes opened, and stared at him with a deathly gaze that was not just threatening, but promising.

"I… will… fight. You cannot… _will not_… stop me."

She was breathing heavily. And he was…

He was afraid.

Koriya released her grip on his throat and picked up her beyblade, standing. She felt no embarrassment, despite the fact that the top she was wearing was barely long enough to cover her underwear, and it left her long, tan-tainted legs to be seen. She pulled a pair of cargo pants, surprisingly undamaged, from her bag, and left down the hallway silently.

By the time she was out-of-sight, you could see bruises appearing on her brother's throat.

Rei went to his side and lifted his head gingerly, examining them despite the man's objections. There was a bit of blood where her fingernails had pierced, and it had seemed that she'd broken a few of the surface blood-vessels, as well. The discoloration it caused was horrendous. The nekojin let him go, shaking his head.

"Be careful that you don't get to breathing too hard with those injuries. You should stay out of the matches today, yourself."

"But-!"

"No excuses!" Rei stood, and looked down at him firmly. He was not going to be moved. "I'm going to go find Ria. I'll catch up with the rest of you at the stadium.

Rei walked down the passage, away from the stirrings of the others. There was a bathroom at the end of the hall…

He stopped, noticing that his bedroom door was ajar, whereas he had left it completely closed. The nekojin peeked through, and was surprised to find her sitting on his bed, arms around her legs and head rested on her knees. The room was dark, and he left it that way as he entered and shut the door behind him, going to her side. Hesitating for a moment, he at last sat beside her and put a comforting hand on her back, and was surprised when she leaned in to rest against his body, as though all strength she'd had was spent.

"I killed someone once."

He startled, a jolt of fear coursing through him for a split second as the words hit him. Her voice, completely devoid of anything to be called human emotion, continued.

"House 37. David Naegino. He tried to turn me into profit. I wouldn't put up with it. He paid dearly for his mistake."

A shudder ran through her slight frame, and he was uneasy when she suddenly wrapped her arms around his waist and buried into his chest. A minute later, sobs could be heard, quiet and muffled. Again, she spoke, but her voice was ragged, hoarse and fear-ridden.

"Why did they always do that?! Why did they always hate me?! I was too stupid, too ugly, too everything! And when they _could _finally love me, something always happened! Those who love me are destined to die, that's what they say! They always tell me that! That's why people who start to like me end up pushing me away, because they can sense their end!" she sobbed into him, pouring her heart out for him to hear. She _did_ love him. She had finally admitted it to herself the previous night, and she knew that if she allowed him to love her, he would…

"Rei… Rei-kun… I don't want you to die…"

Koriya was helpless. The darkness was flooding her soul. She had no choice but to give in, or she would lose more than a Beyblade match.

"Final Attack: Nevermore Windbane!"

The hurricane. The black blades. Screams. When the teen finally gathered to courage to see what damage she had done, she broke down in tears.

Before her was a broken blade, and a bloody opponent.

* * *

**AN: Welcome the new chapter~ Enjoy peoples; there's not much left on this story. R&R, and then visit my website!**


	16. Her Demons

**Chapter 16- Her Demons**

Their match, having been against the Barthez Battalion, had not been as stressful as others, though Ria had been intent on torturing her opponent. At that moment, Matilda lay in the emergency room, doctors frantically surrounding her and trying to keep her from dying.

Koriya wouldn't let anyone near her.

She watched silently through the window, a stoic mask in place. Her eyes wavered on occasion, threatening to follow the physicians that moved about her, but they remained on her eyes, as though in hope that she might see that flaming ruby hue again. Rei watched after her with almost equal intensity through the remainder of the day and night. The next morning, Kai walked up next to her, and murmured in her ear only a single word, and softly, barely perceptible, her head nodded. With that, he left. The tournament that day way played and won by Max, Tyson and Kai; as was the round the day after that. Koriya watched Matilda, and Rei watched her.

Rei dangled a bag in front of her face that night, and barely managed to dodge when she attempted to punch him. When she looked up into his eyes though, molten light that swirled in sincere and friendly currents, she couldn't look away. He smiled at her softly. "C'mon; you can't live on air."

She stared at him blankly for a minute, before at last he slipped his hand in hers and led her towards the empty waiting room, placing the Chinese to-go container in her hands and tossing her a pair of chopsticks. They ate in silence for a while, and she stared into space, chewing slowly. He watched her, like he had for the last three days, his eyes soft and concerned.

"You've been watching me like that ever since morning of day before yesterday. Did I say something that you're afraid of, if that display at the arena wasn't enough?" she asked him sullenly.

"I care about you. I don't know what to do for you. So I watch; if you would give me something to work with, I wouldn't feel so useless."

She placed the half-empty container back in the bag and stood, eyes closed for a moment, before leaving.

"I'm the only one who's useless, except when one wishes to kill."

* * *

Rei didn't let her actions deter him. That night she collapsed, her lack of sleep at long last catching up, and when she fell, he caught her. Being the one to remain with her, as the others had needed to return to the McGregor Estate, he carried her to the deserted waiting room, curling her body against him softly and holding her until dawn the next day at her awakening. He watched her all that time, barely resting himself in case news were to come. All the doctors knew that she was to be the first one informed, as they all wanted her to stop her worrying and watching. Amber eyes of molten light roamed the sleeping form, watching her breathe in sweet and innocent slumber.

Several times in that one night she would murmur, always it was something sad. How was it this girl seemed so carefree to the world, as she had to him in their first meeting? How could she stand to hold it all in? He knew he would never understand, even if she told him everything; how could he ever know the pain she had endured, if he himself had never felt even a fraction of it? His heart mourned softly for her hurt, crying in anguish for this child, nay, this woman who lay in his arms.

_Nyx, stop! Please don't hurt them!_

_I beg you! Don't kill him!_

_Why? Why do you keep hurting them? What did they do?_

So many times, she begged and pleaded this softly; who was Nyx? he had wondered once, and his mind had flitted to something dreadful. Was it a second mind? Or something worse? He would embrace her more fully with each of these, hoping to make the terrible demons of her heart lie still and let her be, if only for that night. He wanted to always soothe her, hold her close to never let her leave or be left alone. For a while, her sleeping state allowed her cry into his shirt, and all he did was to wipe the salty droplets away, running his hands through her freed hair and whisper comforting words for her subconscious to hear. She cried still, and for her his heart was breaking.

_Nyx, please! I want to love! I want to **be** loved! Why won't you stop hurting them?_

He pressed a small kiss to her forehead. And he, too, cried, when she finally screamed the words before at last falling into a dreamless sleep:

"No! Don't you dare hurt Rei! _I'll kill you first!_"

* * *

**AN: Anyhow you look at this, I'm updating really fast. XP Rainbow Fading is one of my earliest stories; on here, only "The Siren" is older. Please enjoy this as much as you can, and then read something I've written more recently so that you can understand I _have_ improved. ^~; This story is so embarrassingly inconsistent.... Oh well. R&R, and don't forget to visit my website!**


	17. To Kill a Beast

Chapter 17- To Kill a Beast

Koriya woke the next morning to the smiling face of a nurse, her body tightly curled against a familiar nekojin. She was disoriented, but after a few minutes she was able to make sense of the world around her. It was a beautiful sight, that of his sleeping face, even though it was saddening to see the dark circles under his eyes, ones that he had gained by watching her so many nights. After a few minutes, the nurse that had awakened her spoke.

"Good morning, Mizuhara-san. I was told to inform you that the girl has come out of her coma and is perfectly stable. She can't have any visitors, but she asked me to tell you that she could see you didn't really want to attack her like that, and she forgives you."

Koriya nodded hesitantly, and the lady smiled, taking her leave. Being forgiven… that hadn't happened often. Most of the time people blamed her completely…

For the actions of her bitbeast…

She reached up and ran a finger over the high cheekbones if the man who held her so close to him, tucked to him as though he were trying to make himself as a shield, to… to keep something away from her.

She remembered the nightmares.

Had she physically cried out? Had she thrashed in fear? She didn't know, but he was there, his face resting gently against her forehead, his feet propped up on the couch to keep her closer and his arms encircling her small figure tightly. He looked a little worried, even in sleep.

She kissed him.

Softly, chastely, just a small one on his jaw. The movement was the last one needed to awaken him, and thick lashes lifted to reveal the colors of a misty sunrise. For a little while, he remained in a dream-like state, his eyes unfocused a slightly worried expression unchanging, but the spell left him, and he looked down at her gently.

"You had really bad nightmares. I hope you don't mind."

She shook her head. "I always have nightmares. At least the nurses weren't having to deal with me."

His eyes were soft, and only the slightest hint of a smile showed on his worried face. They stayed like that for a while, him holding her ever-so-gently and her body resting next to his as though it were a first homecoming, like the rest was such a wonderful feeling that no mortal had ever had the pleasure of feeling it, not even her, until then. But slowly, and with much inner protest, she drew away from him, standing up and stretching luxuriously. She smiled at him, a little unsure of herself.

"So… shall we go? I've got a list of things to do, and most involve hygiene," she joked. He chuckled a little in response.

"You sure you're okay?"

"No, I'll never be okay. But I keep going anyway."

* * *

Koriya let the water scald her body, freeing it of the grime that coated it. Her hair fell heavily about her shoulders, soaking and adorned with an abundance of bubbles. Her cheeks, as they had been for the last several days, lacked the bright rainbow marks that typically matched her brother's. Her nightmares had, thankfully, almost completely left her mind, and she could barely even remember the bare gist of what had occurred. There was only one phrase she could remember, as though it would echo in her mind until the end of always…

"_Don't you dare hurt Rei! **I'll kill you first**!"_

She was as sure as a person could be that she had said that aloud, maybe even shouted it. He'd told her she'd tossed and turned and cried out in her sleep; it was such a strong statement that she was almost positive that it was said aloud. As sigh escaped her lips, and she finished scrubbing the suds from her hair, running her fingers through the limp, unruly curls carelessly. Turning off the shower and ringing the strands dry somewhat, she threw the shower curtain back and grabbed a towel off the nearby rack, wrapping it tightly about her mane before stepping out and adorning another thick, fluffy piece of terrycloth. She examined her face in the mirror, eyes searching their reflection sadly.

_**Why mistress, something troubles you?**_

The young girl flinched at the sadistic tone. Had it been another entity in the room, she would've shied away, but it was impossible. Despite the scalding hot bath, she could feel her skin growing cold.

_Always, Nyx. As long as I have you, I'll never be able to be untroubled._

_**Come now, mistress, **_it began again, the sneer almost tangible, _**why dost thou say such dire things?**_

_Because I know what you intend to do, and I know how to stop you. It's only a matter of when I've had enough._

She could feel the other entity raging inside of her, it's anger growing in capacity by the minute, becoming more and more frightening. But outside, all one could see were slightly fearful eyes as a young teen calmly dried her body, running a towel over her skin roughly before pulling on her garments. Koriya's eyes met with their reflection in the mirror once again, and watched as she repeated a practiced motion, painting the marks on her face. But the usual colors were not there; no, the only color she used was red.

_Red for blood, Nyx, my bitbeast. I know that if I kill myself, you, too, will die. And I will; I'll kill you before you hurt Rei. Stay in line._

_

* * *

**AN: Okay, here it is~ Don't forget to review!**_


	18. Shattered

**Chapter 18- Shattered**

"Welcome, ladies and gentlemen! Well, its no surprise today that the final round shall consists of the Majestics, our home-turf champions, versus the three-time World Championship team, the Bladebreakers! Who will win this last set of rounds? Only time will tell for theses two great competitors!"

Koriya shot Jazzman a dirty look unbeknownst to him, but, shockingly… he felt a strange, very _evil_ chill run up and down his spine. (AN: Lol. Man, she scary…) Her eyes wandered along the stadium, and she could see that several sets of eyes were on her. She was a wild card of sorts; the last battle she'd been in was almost a preliminary round, and she'd gone berserk. Everyone undoubtedly knew that Matilda had been in the hospital those last four days.

_**Don't be nervous, Mistress. I won't allow us to lose.**_

_You make an appearance even to keep me from losing and I'll aim the Windbane attack at myself, you got that?_

The beast within fell silent. A warm hand perched itself on her shoulder, and she looked up into the amethyst eyes of her eldest brother and captain. He would've looked the same to anyone who didn't know him well, but the whole team could see he looked worried.

"Ria… stay the trump," he managed to murmur. She understood. Her blade would remain the last resort, the last-ditch effort. Only if it were absolutely necessary would she play.

"And the first round is…!" DJ trailed off for a minute, listening into his headset for instructions. "Oliver v. Max!"

* * *

Draceil charged at Unicolion, a great battle cry rising from its throat. They clashed, sparks raising angrily from the stadium. Both blades were in top condition, and both players were intent on victory for their own reasons. The battle was indeed heated, but before long, the Great Black Turtle was declared the victor with his master. After that, Johnny fought Kai, as had seemed traditional; the wolfish captain, again, reigned supreme. Enrique pulled out a victory over Rei, though; that in itself was a shocker. But the last battle was something none had thought to happen in a million years. Robert and Tyson tied.

The girl from their team, raven-haired with eyes like rubies and skin of brazen copper, stepped up. They wanted her to fight. Tyson was begging to go out again, but it seemed the judges deemed otherwise. They asked the Koriya fight.

"She can't!" Max had protested. Kai looked blatantly distressed for once. The girl, introduced as Roze, made a face.

"What, is she a pathetic loser that can barely fight or something?"

Koriya was hard-pressed to keep her anger in check.

"Sorry guys, but the judges think the battle will be fairest if the girls duke it out on their own," Jazzman replied to them apologetically.

Koriya closed her eyes for a moment, turning towards the stadium. When she opened them again, the depths of wolf gray and amethyst were blank. Roze was cocky and self-satisfied with the results, as though it were she who had made her relent. But the moment the blade entered the stadium, it seemed the entire arena went deathly silent. Even Jazzman refrained from commenting.

Blades met.

They clashed.

Thunder crashed.

Outside the stadium a storm swelled black and boiling. The lights flickered and went out, only the spotlights remaining to shine on the two blades, the one of silver and violet and the other of gold and green. But Roze was powerful, and wasted no time calling upon yet another over-sized bitbeast that Europe had to offer. A gigantic centaur, called after the constellation of Sagittarius. It sped at Koriya's Nightwing, as she called it. The clash roared through the stadium, ripping through the air and damaging the surroundings. People hits by the tremendous air pressures screamed in pain, and the spectators fled. Wind, a gale of hurricane force, blew through the open ways created by the damage. Little was it known to anyone, even Kai, how hard pressed she was to keep it even down to this level.

Nyx was strengthening.

_**Mistress, all you need do is let go, and I will take this tournament easily!**_

_Along with how many lives?! I won't! This is too much, Nyx; I demand you pull back at once!_

_**But Mistress, her blade will soon be outdone, and you will reign as victor! Should we pull back when we are but a mere few moments from our goal?**_

_With you, yes! Stop it, Nyx! This isn't right; you're hurting people! I know you don't care one way or the other whether or not you hurt me, but I won't let you hurt anyone else! When Voltaire fused you into my body, he knew that I would have to kill myself to kill you, but I will **definitely** do it if I must!_

She could feel it, as she had never felt it before. The creature recoiled into the back of her mind, and gave a painful, menacing hiss. But she sense that the Windbane was strengthening, though the blades remained small like kunai. But the kaze was strengthening, and the force becoming more potent. Black sparks that dared to wish for bladehood could be seen through misty, burning eyes. But as though some last security had been cut, she could feel all control of her blade be lost.

And it was coming.

Her heart was shattered, laying in a million pieces on the floor, her life's light fading like the hope she'd always held for the rainbow after the storm. Her rainbow… it was slowly fading… fading into memories of turmoil and hate and shame. She could see it before her, rising black and frightening terrific before her eyes, that familiar form of a siren that always hovered at the back of her mind; raven feathers grown naturally amongst raven strands, and wings where arms would be, the fin of a mermaid growing down from her hips, funeral black and glistening like deadly poison so beautiful. It was all she could do as she watched it charge for her competitor from the floor.

With only a second left, she took a glass-shard near her hand, and plunged it towards her heart…

* * *

**AN: Well, is that enough of a cliffhanger? I thought it was decent. Review, and don't forget to visit my website!**


	19. Heart Reborn

**Chapter 19- Heart Reborn**

The winds died down. The blades disappeared in midair. The deathly bitbeast captured her chest in her own clawed hands, scratching herself there desperately as if she were in epic pain. Without thinking, Rei ran to Koriya's side, turning her over and crying out at the sight.

Blood.

_Her_ blood.

It covered her.

The black, Chinese-style top she'd been wearing was ripped to shreds, and in the front, near her heart, was a shard of glass the size of both his hands. Her right gripped it painfully, the edges making her fingers and palm leak the liquid garnet substance from them that was so precious. Carefully, heeding only her pain and disregarding his own, he removed the wedge from her breast and lifted her to him. Tears ran unchecked down his face to fall pitifully into her wound. For a brief moment, she groaned, and opened her eyes just a little to look up at him.

"Ria? Ria! Hold on, okay? Just hold on! We're gonna call an ambulance!" he murmured to her quietly, almost in hysterical relief. All she offered him was a dazed, foggy smile, and a croaking reply.

"It won't make it. I told her that she wouldn't kill you. I was right, wasn't I? I did keep my promise. Ai… aishiteru…"

* * *

_May 4, 2007, Friday_

_After an uncompromising coma, lasting a total of 9 months, 27 days and 10 hours, Koriya Rayne Mizuhara, age 17, awakened at 3:34 pm Greenwich Mean Time._

Rei looked up from jotting this down in his journal to the happy reunion between the three siblings. All were in tears, though his were more hidden than one would've expected. That one sentence was to be the last he would ever write in that journal, which was titled clearly:

_Heart Reborn: the Story of Koriya Mizuhara, by Rei Kon_

He had named it this for his own reasons; within the single dream that he had had every night for the day since her near-death, by which, after three minutes she was revived, he had seen a beautiful workshop. Within it, he could see a shining figure moving, and everything was plated in gold and silver, studded and embedded with the purest of jewels made with cuts of foreign fashion. But the master of this place, lit by the hearty fireplace, always seemed intent on a single object: a heart.

Every night he watched the nameless, featureless smith work at his bench and tools, crafting carefully this beautiful heart. Of the purest Moon-gold he made it, and in its center he set a stone that seemed clear, but in it's depths danced fires, colors mingled like sunsets and rises. Hues unimaginable were on the stones that surrounded it, patterning exotic flowers and beasts, a strange sun and moon and constellations yet to be named. This night before this, it was as though the man had known he were there, watching the whole time.

"Why hast thou stood by the side? Why dids't thou refrain from the crafting of thine own heart?" he'd asked. Rei had stared at him blankly, stepping forward into the glowing cadence of the pyre. He wandered to one of the work benches, and looked amongst the stones and fine materials he could see, but over in a corner there were materials he had not noticed before- plain things, wood, iron, coal, hay, dirt and sawdust. Hesitantly, he lifted a coal from the heap, and showed it to the Master Craftsman.

"Was I unkind? Did I not understand her well enough? Why did I allow this to happen to her…?" he'd murmured. The man laughed heartily, surprisingly, and reached inside him, drawing out his own heart. It was, much to his surprise, beautifully arrayed, though not near as so as the one he had been working on so diligently for all those long nights. He withdrew the coal from his hand, and the moment it touched the Craftsman's skin, it was changed, and it, too, was that beautiful clear crystal- surely not a diamond, for it was a mere rock to this foreign amulet!- that held so many dancing colored fires. He took it to his workbench, and in moments, the jewel was set amongst the other designs, its fire burning brightly and lighting his heart.

"Thou chose well, my son. Truth lies in your spirit, not in the appearances of what one may see…"

The last thing he had seen was the Master Craftsman placing that beautiful heart inside his beloved's still body.

"Rei?"

He looked up at the questioning way his name was said, and Koriya was sitting up, an arm propped around each of her brother's necks, her eyes searching his with uncertainty. For a breath of a moment, he saw fear flicker through her eyes. Yet, even in that moment, he came to her side and embraced her. Fully, carefully but firmly, holding her against him as he had not since he'd carried her to the hospital so long ago, he embraced her, nuzzling into her neck with relief and affection he'd never shown. And in that brief moment, had told her what she'd been waiting those nine months to hear.

"Aishiteru."

_**O**__**W**__**A**__**R**__**I**_

* * *

**AN: And that's all she wrote, folks! We welcome the end of another repost- I hope all of you forgive me for the nutsy writing. Because this is an old story, sometimes it's really confusing. T_T; I guarantee I've gotten better. To anyone who watches Naruto, I will be posting the last chapter of Soul-Mirror tonight, and will in the near future be posting my story **_Carnival Ride_**, so come one come all!**

**Don't forget to keep an eye out for my book **_Phantom: Stories of a Lady Thief_**, which will be hitting an internet near you in early 2010~! REVIEW, PEEPS!**


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